If you want a shot at getting some Indian Head Pennies, go after the zinc penny readings. I been told that is what they come up as and from years ago when detecting I knew that and found some.

Find you a old enough section of town with homes from the 1800s and do the curb strip. Get readings for zinc pennies down 3 to 8 inches and you may just get a lot of indian head pennies, at least a few. Get to know the VID numbers for your machine it helps.

My favorite coin is probably the merc dimes above those or so close I can't tell would be any silver coin. I have never found any seated silver coins. I still remember the enjoyment of finding a Walkng lib half The weight of those bigger silver coins is so cool when you find one and handle it. I imagine finding gold and diamond rings worth a lot would really be cool but It just never happens for me. I have found gold rings but few and of the few two I gave back to the owner.
M6 Mike

Indians come in slightly higher than zinc for me, but lower than copper. On the F5, zinc is around 60, Indians sit around 64, and copper pennies are about 72. Gotta dig those zincs too, cuz those zinc numbers could also be gold.....or so I'm told. still waiting for gold here.

Just dug an IH tonight. On my AT it was ringing in the mid 60's. Usually they read in the 70's so I almost didnt dig. I wonder how many others I havent dug lol. Like I said they usually ring in higher on my machine. Dont know why it rang so low.

i dig all repeatable coin signals that dont go to iron when rimmed, then in pinpoint mode are sharp. wide signals with the ace that fade in slowly and go high then fade out are always junk. i stiil get fooled by small coin sized junk like beavertails.

Here is the deal. If you are in an every day park that is not that old, you can basically ignore those signals or dig zincolns all day long. In a feild you dig everything except iron (unless you are a relic hunter). Any place that is old like a park, school, woods or private property, you should dig them as well. Just my opinion...

INDIAN HEAD- (1859-1909)
The small cent was redesigned in 1859, and a representation of Miss Liberty wearing an Indian war bonnet was adopted as the obverse device. The 1859 reverse was also changed to represent a laurel wreath. In 18t60 the reverse was modified to display an oak wreath with a small shield at the top. From 1859 to 1864, cents were struck in copper-nickel. In 1864 the composition was changed tto bronze, although copper-nickel cents were also struck during that year. Ref Official Blue book of US Coins 2012

Originally Posted by evan9rView post
Ill dig all coin signals unless its a new park and I have dug so many zincs that Im tired of digging then Ill pass them up.

I plan on planting some ate up zinc pennies just for a reading in pill bottles on beaches at lakes. It will give those of us there at the beach something to find and report back to the forum when we find them. Kind of fun seeing who finds who's planted coins ( with the idea we replant the pill bottle for others to find and report. Some may not be interested but for the new guys it gives them something to find in searched out beaches after a bunch of good detectorist have hit a small beach. Even I woulnd't mind joining in on finding others planted retrieve and report pill bottles.
M6 Mike

I don't get to Lake Michigan often , twice this year so far and only got two silvers from a club planted hunt after most of them left. the second beach I did I got nothing but maybe two poptops one square nail and a little foil. I did get a real good workout walking in the sand for not much.

Plant 3 or 4 zincs in a pill bottle with a note : Your Username , report to Friendly Metal Detecting Forum and rebury the treasure for other hunters for bad days when the beach is empty. Plant 4 or 5 inches deep. If you find more than say 15 pill bottles remove some to other beaches you go to.

Originally Posted by CopyTech99View post
Using this Indian head thread to ask a question ??

Are all early Indian head pennies "fatties" (1st 3 years ?)

Ordered a rough 1859 hoping to get a fatty.

Oh, and BTW Indian heads ring up pretty low #s with the ATP (in line with what the ATP VDI chart states)
I do need to keep that in mind.

1859-1864 is copper nickel, register like a pulltab on the etrac or a 12-24 for the numbers

Also in 1864 they minted a bronze variety and continued this all the way till 1909 and they register from a zinc penny to close to wheat pennies depending on how worn. On the etrac the CO numbers would be from 31 to 37 area